Anaylsis of the Song Peace of Mind Written by Tom Scholz

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Music Analysis The song is “Peace of Mind” by the band Boston, written by Tom Scholz and debuted on their first album in 1976. Since I was very young I’ve probably listened to this song several hundred times. Starting with my parent’s original vinyl copy, to the CD version, and now to the digital version I still have on my iPod. When I was younger and listened to the song I never really paid close attention to the lyrics or the seeming message is being presented. Now that I’ve matured and entered a stage of life where I am more reflective there are a few lyrics that stand out to me. The chorus of this song really resonates with me and it goes: I understand about indecision But I don't care if I get behind People livin' in competition All I want is to have my peace of mind. The style of the song comes across in a sort of blue collar manner. It sounds as if it’s coming from someone who is a little more down to earth and likes to remove themself from the cutthroat hustle and bustle of corporate America. It’s about how life doesn’t travel in a straight line, it take twists and turns along the way. It’s about how life has its ups and downs so you have to accept that you are going to get behind every once and awhile. So many people in this country become so obsessed with making it to the top of the ladder that they lose sight of what really matters in life. There’s no guarantee that you will live a happier longer life if you concentrate all your efforts on trying to become more “successful” financially, because in the end we’ll all be gone someday. It’s important to slow down sometimes and enjoy the little things in life that are more important, than constantly worrying about the future. If you “play your cards right” you will ... ... middle of paper ... ...t work hard during the course of your life. It’s saying more that you shouldn’t neglect or lose touch with the things in your life that mean the most to you. Most people will agree that making more money is a good thing; however it is not worth losing friends and family over. I’ve listened to people tell me that they gave up their dream careers because they found alternative paths that made more money. We only exist on this world for a diminutive amount of time. So maybe the “American way” isn’t just to ascend to the top in order to be more prosperous. Maybe it is the struggle to hold onto whatever is important to you no matter how great or trivial. The song “Peace of Mind” tells me that you will not achieve peace of mind if you have regrets about things that you never accomplished in life because you were too blinded by the relentless pressure to “be successful”.

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